Ashwin quickest to 300 wickets, surpasses Lillee

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has broken an exactly 36-year-old record of becoming the fastest bowler ever to take 300 wickets in Tests.

Ashwin has completed his triple century with the ball in just 54 matches. The record was previously held by former Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who took 56 Tests to achieve the feat. Ironically, he took his 300th wicket on 27th November, in 1981 against Pakistan in Brisbane. Muttiah Muralitharan (58 Tests) is the only other bowler to take 300 wickets in less than 60 matches.

Ashwin has bowled the fewest number of balls to take 300 wickets, in 15363 balls, breaking Shane Warne’s 18501. He also has the second-best strike rate at 300 wickets among the sub-continental bowlers, 52.07. Waqar Younis had a strike rate of 42.04.

Ashwin made his Test debut against West Indies on November 6, 2011 and took a nine-wicket haul in the match. He has taken 6 years and 12 days to complete 300 Test wickets, the second fastest to do so when it comes about time Warne took exactly 6 years. Kapil Dev (8 years and 80 days) was the quickest Indian.

Ashwin took 4/67 and 4/63 in the Nagpur Test against Sri Lanka to take India to an innings and 239-run victory.